Door-fastener.



M. CORBETT.

' DOOR FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, i918.

1,29%,486. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

, MEDORA CORBETT, OF WATKINS, NEW YORK.

DOOR-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed October 5, 1918. Serial No. 257,007.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MnDoRA CoRBErT, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVatkins, in the county of Schuyler and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Door-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

Byway of explanation it may be stated that the sick and aged frequently enter a toilet apartment or a bath room, lock themselves therein, fall into a comatose condition and suffer from lack of immediate assistance, those capable of rendering aid being prevented from doing so by reason of the locking of the door. An occupant of a toilet or bath usually desires to lock the door thereof, not with a view to frustrating such efiorts as a house-breaker might make, but

rather with a view to checking the entrance of a hasty or thoughtless person, intent upon his own needs and plans and void of any desire to encroach upon the privacy of the occupant.

The premises being assumed, it may be stated that it is the object of this invention .to provide a simple keyless device whereby a door may be locked from the inside, and unlocked from the outside without aid' from the person who efiected the inside looking, a means being provided whereby information may be conveyed to the outsider that the bath, toilet or other apartment is occupied.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation wherein the latch is in a closed position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation wherein the latch is in open position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation.

The numeral 1 marks a jamb carrying a keeper 2 of any desired kind. A closure 3 which'may be a hinged door, coiiperates with the jamb 1. An inner plate 4 is secured at 5 t0 the door 3, the door carrying an outer plate 6 secured to the door as shown at 7. In the door 3 and in the plates 4 and 6 there is fashioned an opening comprising an enlarged central portion 8 and lateral extensions 9.

A latch 10, in the form of a plate, is pivoted at, 11 to the outer plate 6, to swing parallel thereto. The plate or latch 10 is provided with a curved slot 12 one end of which mergesinto an enlargement 14, the other end of the slot opening through the edge of the latch plate 10, in the form of a widened receiving mouth 15.

Let it be supposed that the latch 10 is disposed in front of the outer plate 6. Then the latch covers'a part of the opening 89, the slot 12 in the latch extends transversely of the opening 8-9 and the enlargement 14 of the slot. 12 is alined with the enlarged central portion 8 of the opening; Consequently, the opening 89 is reduced in size to an aperture denoted by the numeral 21.

In the aperture 21 above defined, a flexible element 16 such as a chain, is slidably mounted. The inner end of the chain 16 is connected by means of rings 17 of dimin ishing diameter, with a relatively large terminal ring 18. On the outer end of the chain 16 an elongated link 19 is mounted, the same being connected with a weight or enlargement 20.

In practical operation, the door is closed, and the person within the apartment draws the chain 16 inwardly and engages the ring 18 with the keeper 2. The link is small enough so that it can enter the aperture 21 above defined but the weight 20 is large enough so that it cannot enter the aperture. Consequently, the door cannot be opened from the outside, without resorting to a procedure hereinafter alluded to.

Let it be supposed that, for reasons hereinbefore stated it is desired to unlock the door from the outside. Then the latch plate 10 is swung laterally on the pivot 11 until the opening 8-9 is completely uncovered. The weight 20 is of suiiicient size so that it can pass through the opening 89 along with the link 19, and, consequently, the door can be unlocked from the outside, when the latch 10 is swung laterally to uncover the opening 89 as aforesaid.

hereinbe fore alluded to. The terminal ring 18 is'too large to p'ass' through the opening;

89 or through the reduced aperture 21, and Consequently, the weight 20 hangs in'a lowered position with practically all of the a chain 16 onthe outside of the door, thus giving a signal to a person" outside of the door, that the apartment is unoccupied.

Theenlarged. part 8 of the opening in the plates at and; 6 and the door 8, and the en-,

largement lat of the slot 12 facilitate the longitudinal sliding movement of the flexible element or chain 16, when the parts are arranged as shown in F 1., 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a

-; 'anib havin a kee er' a closure havin an opening; a latch pivotally supported on the closure, the latch covering a part of the opening and the latch having a slot extended transversely ofthe opening thereby to transform the opening into a reduced aperture;

and a flexible element slidable in the'aperture; keeperengaging means on one end of. the flexible element; and an enlargement on the other end of the flexible eler. ment, thekeeper-engaging means being too large to pass through the opening, and the enlargement being too large to pass through the aperture, and small enough to pass through the opening whe n the latch is swung to one side,'to uncover the opening.

2. In a device of the"class"described, a plate having an opening; a latch pivotally supported on the plate, the latch covering a part of the opening and the latch having 1 largement on the other end oi; the flexible element, the keeper-engaging means being too large to pass throughath'e opening, and;

the enlargement being too large, to pass through the aperture, and smallenough to 7 pass throughtheopening when the latch is swung to one side to uncover the opening.

In a device of the class described a plate having an opening"; alatch pivoted to;

' the plate andhavinga slot, a' p'ortionof the slot cooperating with the opening to. form a reduced aperture; a flexible element slidable in the aperture; and enlargements on the ends of the flexible elements, one enlargement being too large to pass through the opening, and theotherenlargement being too large to pass through the aperture, and small enough to pass through the opening. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffix'ed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

V v V MEDORA CORBETT.

Witnesses: I r Y r MAURICE L. GRIFFIN,

BARTON L. PIPER.

Copies of this patent may be: obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of: Batents,

- Washington, D. C. 

